Have you been dreaming about installing chair rail but don’t know how? This simple DIY will teach you how to install a chair rail to make it look like a professional did it for you! For more DIY projects, be sure you get all our latest updates on Instagram @howwedo208!
Installing Chair Rail
I have always loved the look of chair rail. It takes an ordinary wall and elevates it to the next level. When I decided to re-do the girl’s room, I knew I wanted to do arch box moldings to go with the arch barn door and standard box moldings, and then bring it all together with a classic chair railing that goes around the room. Let me tell you; this is exactly what I was hoping! Be sure to check out the Girls’ Room Reveal to see it all come together.
You can easily install a chair rail in just a couple of days. With a few tools and supplies, you can really transform a room with a beautiful chair rail.
Supplies needed when Installing a Chair Railing
How to Install a Chair Railing
- To make the chair rail in my girls’ room, I used the bottom of the window sill as a reference point and then traced a straight line with my laser level and straight edge.
- I did this on all four walls since I wanted to install the chair rail all the way around the room.
- In order to make my project go a little faster, I found all the studs and marked them on the wall. This is my favorite stud finder.
- When I go to add the chair rail, I use a board to help prop up the board a little further down the wall. This is super helpful if you are working on this project alone and don’t have someone who can hold the other end of the board.
- Once the board is level on the line, I begin nailing it to the wall where the studs are.
- I use a level to ensure it stays level on the wall.
- For the corners you can either bevel the ends of the chair rail or use a coping method. I did both. Beveling is pretty easy to do, but the two corner pieces don’t always match up very well since walls are rarely exactly straight. Uneven walls result in a gap between your two beveled corner pieces. Coping ensures a tight fit as long as you cut the chair rail silhouette correctly.
- On any corners you choose to use the beveling method, make a bevel cut at the end of the two pieces of molding that will meet up at a 45-degree inside corner angle so they meet flush.
- If you choose to use the coping method, install the chair rail on one wall from end to end without making any special corner cuts. Then the two pieces of chair rail on the two adjacent walls that meet up at the corners of the first wall are the molding pieces that you will cope.
- I hadn’t used the coping method before, so I bought a coping saw and watched some tutorial videos. I learned that coping takes some practice and it wasn’t easy right off the bat. I used MDF trim, which didn’t cut very well with the coping saw. I ended up buying a Dremel tool, and that helped a bunch.
- I ended up beveling a couple corners and coping one. The fourth corner was where the door is located, so the chair rail just met up with the door frame.
- When it came to the last corner, I cut the molding piece with a coping saw and my Dremel tool to ensure that it lined up perfectly against the front of the trim piece it met up with.
- I then caulk and fill any nail holes to prep for painting. It’s important to caulk around the chair rail’s top and bottom for the most finished and seamless look.
Tips and FAQs
- Using a laser level is super helpful.
- You will want to use a stud finder to find the studs before nailing the chair railing to the wall.
- Take the time to caulk the top and bottom of the pieces. This gives your project a nice finished look.
Which is better, coping or beveling the corners?
Coping gives you a much tighter joint, but it is very meticulous and time-consuming to get it right. I think if I had been using pine instead of MDF, I would have had better luck with the coping saw. But the Dremel tool was a game changer! Beveling is fast, but if the walls are not a perfect 90 degrees, the two trim pieces will not line up as nicely.
Disclaimer: I was using MDF, and it was a total pain to cope the corners.
How high should you install the chair rail?
The common recommendation is about 32 inches or ⅓ of the wall height. Of course, you want to look at your wall treatment and what you plan to do to the room as to what will look best.
There you have it! How to hang your own chair railing like a professional. If you love video tutorials, you can watch them here in my girls’ bedroom redo tutorial! Be sure to tag me on Instagram in your finished projects so I can see how amazing they are! #howwedoandyoucantoo
Sure, you can do a box molding, but what if you could really elevate the space with an arch box molding? What if I told you that you could? With this simple DIY arch molding tutorial, you will be saying wow to this DIY project! Ready to see how this whole room makeover turned out?? Here it is: Girls’ Bedroom Makeover Reveal! For more DIY projects, be sure you get all my latest updates on Instagram @howwedo208!
